A political blog update in The Wall Street Journal
<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/05/14/rand-paul-cut-spending-but-not\
-medicare-doctor-payments/tab/print/> has some calling Senate candidate
Rand Paul a hypocrite after Paul's comments at a fundraiser in Prospect,
Kentucky.
Tea party favorite Rand Paul has rocketed to the lead ahead of
Tuesday's Republican Senate primary here on a resolute pledge to
balance the federal budget and slash the size of government.
But on Thursday evening, the ophthalmologist from Bowling Green said
there was one thing he would not cut: Medicare physician payments.
In fact, Paul who says 50% of his patients are on Medicare
wants to end cuts to physician payments under a program now in place
called the sustained growth rate, or SGR. "Physicians should be
allowed to make a comfortable living," he told a gathering of
neighbors in the back yard of Chris and Linda Wakild, just behind the
10th hole of a golf course.
"It's the height of hypocrisy," said Trey Grayson campaign manager Nate
Hodson.
"This is emblematic of his apparent belief that everyone else should
pay, except for him. He evades paying taxes, advocates balancing the
budget on the backs of Kentucky's seniors and family farmers, and
then openly states he would oppose cuts that might affect him directly.
It is incredibly arrogant and hypocritical."
Grayson news release
Rand Paul: Everyone Should Pay (Except Me)
Florence, Kentucky
In the category of "it would be funny if it weren't
so tragic" comes this from Rand Paul. While calling for an
increase in the Social Security retirement age, the abolishment of the
Departments of Agriculture and Education, the elimination of farm
subsidies, the elimination of earmarked funding for Kentucky
infrastructure projects and cuts in almost every other government
function, Paul opposes cuts in government payments to physicians
payments he relies on to make a living.
>From the Wall Street Journal: "Physicians should be allowed to make
a comfortable living," he told a gathering of neighbors in the back
yard of Chris and Linda Wakild, just behind the 10th hole of a golf
course.
"The real Rand Paul is shining through," said Trey
Grayson's campaign manager Nate Hodson. "This is emblematic of
his apparent belief that everyone else should pay, except for him. He
evades paying taxes, advocates balancing the budget on the backs of
Kentucky's seniors and family farmers, and then openly states he
would oppose cuts that might affect him directly. It is incredibly
arrogant and hypocritical."
Hodson also called on Rand Paul to answer questions about
how he only makes a reported $46,000 per year as an Ophthalmologist but
lives in a house worth more than $500,000. Rand Paul's financial
disclosure showing his income was only $46,143 from his medical
practice. Paul's house is assessed at $509,900 by the Warren
County Property Value Administrator.
"Either he's lying on his financial disclosure, or
he's lying to the IRS about his income, or both. There's no
way an Ophthalmologist in Bowling Green living in a $500,000 house only
made just over $40,000 last year. Given his history of evading taxes,
this just doesn't pass the smell test," said Hodson.
Paul has evaded paying local, state and federal taxes on
campaign employees, including for Social Security and Medicare
withholding.
More...
1. Think Progress » Rand Paul Says He Opposes Medicare And
Medicaid ...
<http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/17/rand-medicare-penalize-poor/> Jun
17, 2010 ... Joke is on Rand's patients, who believe he has been 'Board
Certified' ... half of Paul's medical income in Bowling Green has come
from Medicare and ..... I didn't pay off my debt till I was over 50, and
I do not own any ...
thinkprogress.org/2010/06/17/rand-medicare-penalize-poor/ - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:IQNRzT7-howJ:think\
progress.org/2010/06/17/rand-medicare-penalize-poor/+rand+paul+50%25+inc\
ome+from+medicare+patients&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>
2. Daily Kos: Is Rand Paul, M.D.'s income from "Socialized medicine"?
<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/22/868772/-Is-Rand-Paul,-M.D.s-inc\
ome-from-Socialized-medicine> May 22, 2010 ... Share this on Twitter -
Is Rand Paul, M.D.'s income from ..... In fact, Paul who says 50%
of his patients are on Medicare wants to end ...
www.dailykos.com/.../-Is-Rand-Paul,-M.D.s-income-from-Socialized-medicin\
e - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:5ykNCu7Oi2gJ:www.d\
ailykos.com/story/2010/5/22/868772/-Is-Rand-Paul,-M.D.s-income-from-Soci\
alized-medicine+rand+paul+50%25+income+from+medicare+patients&cd=2&hl=en\
&ct=clnk&gl=us>
3. Richard Greener: Rand Paul's Transparent Hypocrisy: He's a Doctor!
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/rand-pauls-transparent-hy\
_b_586573.html> May 23, 2010 ... Join the club, Rand Paul. TH can strike
anyone. I'm not a doctor ..... Mr. Paul claims that 50% of his income
is from Medicare patients. ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../rand-pauls-transparent-hy_b_586573.html -
Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:i8tDeYT41TEJ:www.h\
uffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/rand-pauls-transparent-hy_b_586573.htm\
l+rand+paul+50%25+income+from+medicare+patients&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us\
>
4. New controversy for Rand Paul | WHAS11.com | WHAS11.com Louisville
...
<http://www.whas11.com/community/blogs/political-blog/New-controversy-fo\
r-Rand-Paul--93843284.html> May 15, 2010 ... In fact, Paul who
says 50% of his patients are on Medicare wants ... Rand Paul's
financial disclosure showing his income was only $46143 ...
www.whas11.com/.../New-controversy-for-Rand-Paul--93843284.html - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:38cXEZg-RPUJ:www.w\
has11.com/community/blogs/political-blog/New-controversy-for-Rand-Paul--\
93843284.html+rand+paul+50%25+income+from+medicare+patients&cd=4&hl=en&c\
t=clnk&gl=us>
5. Pensito Review » KY Sen: Rand Paul, Medicare Millionaire,
Opposes ...
<http://www.pensitoreview.com/2010/06/21/ky-sen-rand-paul-medicare-milli\
onaire-opposes-extending-benefits-of-longterm-unemployed/> Jun 21, 2010
... KY Sen: Rand Paul, Medicare Millionaire, Opposes Extending Benefits
... [Paul has] said approximately 50 percent of his income is Medicare
...
www.pensitoreview.com/.../ky-sen-rand-paul-medicare-millionaire-opposes-\
extending-benefits-of-longterm-unemployed/ - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:1BkL02PjDnQJ:www.p\
ensitoreview.com/2010/06/21/ky-sen-rand-paul-medicare-millionaire-oppose\
s-extending-benefits-of-longterm-unemployed/+rand+paul+50%25+income+from\
+medicare+patients&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>
6. Rand Paul To Unemployed: Quit Whining And Get Back To Work
<http://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-to-unemployed-quit-whining-and\
-get-back-to-work-2010-6> Jun 21, 2010 ... Are suggesting he turn
Medicare and Medicaid patients away? .... but he said approximately 50
percent of his income is Medicare and 5 percent ... If that represents 5
percent of his income, then Paul's Medicare payments ...
www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-to-unemployed-quit-whining-and-get-bac\
k-to-work-2010-6 - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:rlgCErSOy-EJ:www.b\
usinessinsider.com/rand-paul-to-unemployed-quit-whining-and-get-back-to-\
work-2010-6+rand+paul+50%25+income+from+medicare+patients&cd=6&hl=en&ct=\
clnk&gl=us>
7. Rand Paul Exposes His Moral and Intellectual Hypocrisy | The
Seminal <http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/55677> Jun 19, 2010 ... If
that represents 5 percent of his income, then Paul's Medicare payments
over ... And his patients in turn can only afford his services if .....
50. NIxon said he was not a Crook, Bush said read my lips no new taxes,
...
seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/55677 - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:suulx1E2rHcJ:semin\
al.firedoglake.com/diary/55677+rand+paul+50%25+income+from+medicare+pati\
ents&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>
8. Wonk Room » Rand Paul Supports Doc Bail-Out: 'Physicians Should
Be ... <http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/05/20/rand-paul-sgr/> May
20, 2010 ... In fact, Paul who says 50% of his patients are on
Medicare wants to end cuts ... The household median income? May
20th, 2010 at 12:46 pm ...
wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/05/20/rand-paul-sgr/ - Cached
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Gil1aqG7L_sJ:wonkr\
oom.thinkprogress.org/2010/05/20/rand-paul-sgr/+rand+paul+50%25+income+f\
rom+medicare+patients&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>
9. PostPartisan - Rand Paul's bout with reality
<http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/05/rand_pauls_bout_w\
ith_reality.html> May 21, 2010 ... Even though he's dead wrong, I've got
to admire Rand Paul for ... What a farce, too, as if the US never had
ANY roads, schools, police, fire depts, etc before the Federal income
tax. ... In his practice he treats Medicare patients. ..... His pro life
position would save 40-50% of the black race from ...
voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/.../rand_pauls_bout_with_reality.\
html
